


Similitudes

by zarahjoyce



Category: Ressha Sentai ToQger, Sentai - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 09:32:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1423432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarahjoyce/pseuds/zarahjoyce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Out of the five of them, it seemed that only they were grounded enough to be bothered with worries every now and then. But, whereas Hikari only shrugged off his concerns most of the time, she allowed them to be her burden because the others didn’t.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Similitudes

"Can’t sleep?"  
  
She looked up, seemingly caught surprised by his appearance in the doorway. “Hikari?” Mio asked, closing her book and straightening in her seat. “Why are you still up at this hour?”  
  
 _Just like her to_ _ask such a question_ , he thought, striding forward to sit opposite her, his kendama already out of his pocket. “I asked you first,” he said, a tad belligerently, as he launched the ball up in the air and caught it deftly afterwards.  
  
Mio looked sheepish for a second, before holding up her book. “Just catching up on my reading,” she said. “Did you know Wagon offers some reading materials, too? You just have to ask her after dinner - she has a wide selection of books, if you’re interested.”  
  
"Hn." He flipped his toy so that the bottom would catch the ball this time. "Any reason you’re reading _here_ , though?”  
  
"—the light’s better here?"  
  
Just like her to cover up for the others’ shortcomings. Didn’t she know it was easy to tell when she was fibbing? “ _Mio._ "  
  
"—fine." Mio sighed. "Right and Kagura are playing and they’re being loud at it, too, so I really can’t concentrate in my room." She paused. "Though the light’s _really_ better here, so I’m not complaining.”  
  
Hikari glanced upwards, then wound the string around his kendama. “Of course, it’s not enough for Right and Kagura to find the most inopportune time to play. The two of them even managed to involve Tokatti somehow, so naturally they’re being _twice_ as loud.”   
  
"Really? I thought he was already asleep."  
  
"Not anymore." Now Hikari looked downright mutinous; his room was just across the others’, after all, and the small noises they made were enough to rouse him from his bed in search of peace. It was most annoying, _especially_ since he was just at the very brink of sleep.  
  
"I see," she said, though there was a smile lurking about her features. "Is that why you’re still awake?"  
  
He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at her evenly. “If you can’t read with all the ruckus, how do you expect _me_ to just sleep through them?”  
  
Mio laughed, then. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll tell them to be quieter next time.”  
  
He raised his brow at her. “Not tonight?” There went his chance to sleep within the next ten minutes. How disappointing!  
  
She hesitated, then shook her head. “Not yet. I don’t know; I’m finding their noise to be a bit— soothing, I guess.”  
  
Hikari raised _both_ brows at her, then, disbelief etched on his face.  
  
"Don’t look at me like that!" Mio admonished. "It’s just… with all that’s happening with the Shadow Line and Schwarz and us not remembering everything, well—" She lowered her book and fiddled with its corner. "If they can have fun in the middle of everything that’s going on, then things can’t be that bad, right?"  
  
He crossed his arms and studied her. “No one’s denying them the right to have fun - but they ought to know _when_ to have it.”  
  
"Let them be for now, Hikari," she said. "Please?"  
  
He sighed. Like he had a choice? “I’d thought you’ll be on my side with this.”  
  
"Oh, I am. I always am." She smiled. "Just— let’s just let them be carefree, for tonight, all right?"  
  
 ”While you’re out here, worrying about everything  _for_ them, instead? That’s hardly fair, isn’t it?”  
  
She blinked at him. He could see a plethora of emotions on her face; she must have entertained the thought of denying his words before finally making a decision and saying, “Someone _has_ to.” Mio paused. “Aren’t you worried?”  
  
Out of the five of them, it seemed that only _they_ were grounded enough to be bothered with worries every now and then. But, whereas Hikari only shrugged off his concerns most of the time, _she_ allowed them to be her burden because the others didn’t.  
  
Tonight was no exception, it seemed. “Our first encounter with Schwarz, no matter how difficult it was, led to us winning over him. The same goes for all the enemies we’ve encountered thus far. I don’t see how those we’ll fight in the future will be any different.”  
  
Mio was quiet for a moment, before smiling slightly at him. “It’s just like you to be so confident about this, isn’t it?”  
  
In another’s mouth, those same words would have been something of an insult. Coming from _her,_ though, it was anything but. “‘As long as we fight together, nothing can stand in our way.’ That’s what you told me before, right? Maybe you should take your own words to heart.” _I know we all do,_ he thought, but didn’t say aloud.  
  
Though maybe he should have, because now she looked taken aback. Mio averted her gaze, forced out a laugh as hollow as air. “Yes, of course - how can I forget that?”  
  
He rose from his seat, then. He had the vaguest feeling that he made her upset, and it nagged at him. Mio was just being _Mio_ , and worrying about her friends had always been second nature to her. Hikari echoed her words as a way to comfort her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect; he’d never been good with placating others, after all.  
  
The very thought of apologizing made him feel uncomfortable, though, so he did what he thought could make up for his blunder.  
  
A few minutes later, and he was sliding a cup of hot tea towards her.  
  
The look on her face was worth the effort of finding and paying Wagon at this hour, then. “…eh?”  
  
He shrugged. “Something to warm you up and help you sleep better, later.”  
  
She wrapped her hands around the mug and sighed. “This is perfect,” Mio said, smiling up at him. “Thank you, Hikari. You’re very thoughtful.”  
  
 _No,_ he really wasn’t - though he supposed it was just like her to think the best out of people - himself included.


End file.
